Scientists Create a “Worth Saving” Index For Endangered Animals

If you’re one of the last hairy-nosed-wombats left in Australia things got a little worse for you today. Thanks to a new mathematical tool created by researchers from James Cook University and the University of Adelaide, the wombat has been classified as not worth saving. Co-author of the safe index Professor Corey Bradshaw says he doesn’t think people should give up on saving extremely endangered animals but adds, “…if you take a strictly empirical view, things that are well below in numbering in the hundreds – white-footed rock rats, certain types of hare wallabies, a lot of the smaller mammals that have been really nailed by the feral predators like cats, and foxes – in some cases it is probably not worthwhile putting a lot of effort because there’s just no chance.”